Renouncing its traditional neutrality, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended Monday to ban Russians and Belarusians from sports competitions. An unprecedented measure, justified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In its press release, the IOC Executive Board asks international federations and organizers of sporting events “not to invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions”.
In contrast, “when this is impossible in the short term for organizational or legal reasons”, it advocates that Russian or Belarusian nationals be accepted as neutral athletes or teams. It also maintains its recommendation of February 25 urging the federations to move or cancel their sporting events planned in these two countries.
If several organizations did not wait for these directives from the IOC to take measures to sanction Russia, since then the announcements have accelerated and soon the Russian teams could no longer be able to participate in any international competition. The point sport by sport.
Paralympic Games: Russians and Belarusians finally excluded
After being initially authorized to participate in the Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, Russian and Belarusian athletes were excluded this Thursday morning, on the eve of the start of the competition. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) had authorized them to participate under a neutral banner, in accordance with the recommendations of the IOC.
But this decision has been challenged in many countries. The CIP therefore announced its reversal in a press release published on Thursday, explaining that “Teams and athletes are now threatening not to participate, jeopardizing the chances of a successful Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games”.
83 athletes are affected by this about-face. At a press conference CIP President Andrew Parsons said “sorry” that they are affected by the decisions taken by their country. “You are the victims of the acts of your governments” he told them.
Football: Russia suspended by Fifa and excluded from the 2022 World Cup
As of Friday, UEFA announced the relocation of the Champions League final, which was supposed to be played at the Krestovski stadium in Saint Petersburg. It will finally take place at the Stade de France. But the main announcement came on Monday afternoon. Fifa and UEFA ruled out “until further notice” the selection and the Russian clubs of all the competitions they organise.
The consequences of this decision are manifold. First, Russia will not be able to play its qualifying play-off match for the 2022 World Cup. It was to face Poland on March 24, which announced that it refused to play the match. De facto, the Russian team will therefore not participate in the World Cup, which will take place in Qatar from November 21.
The women’s selection should meanwhile be deprived of the Euro, scheduled for July in England. Finally, Spartak Moscow, who were to face Leipzig in the round of 16 of the Europa League, was excluded from the competition.
Ice hockey: Russian and Belarusian teams excluded from all competitions
It is the most popular sport among the Russians, but the latter will not be able to support their team during the world championships. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced on Monday that the “suspension of the participation of all Russian and Belarusian national teams and clubs in all age categories and in all IIHF competitions or events until further notice”. The world tournament which will take place from May 13 to 29 in Finland will therefore be played without the Russians or the Belarusians. As for the women’s tournament, scheduled for August 26 to September 4, only Russia is currently excluded.
Skiing and biathlon: imbroglio between the International Ski Federation and Norway
The International Ski Federation (FIS), on which all winter sports disciplines depend except biathlon, is one of the few to have shown indulgence. If she canceled all the competitions planned in Russia on Friday, she still recommends giving the different teams permission to end the season.
“In order to ensure fair and full competition at all FIS events, National Federations and local organizers should not suspend athletes because of their gender, race, nationality or sexual orientation”she said in a statement released on Monday afternoon.
However, the various national federations do not necessarily share this position. Norway and Sweden, in particular, have made it known that they do not want to welcome Russians during the competitions organized there. These Scandinavian countries will undoubtedly try to have this decision of the FIS overturned. To be continued.
For its part, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) has decided to exclude Russia and Belarus, while offering its athletes to compete under a neutral banner. Proposal that both countries rejected.
Athletics: Russian athletes banned from international competitions
Russian athletes, like those from Belarus, will have to give up the Indoor Worlds in Belgrade (March 18-20), as well as those outdoors in Oregon in the United States (July 15-24). The international athletics federation, World Athletics, announced on Tuesday that they would be banned from all competitions it organizes. It thus applies the recommendation of the IOC.
Basketball: Russian clubs suspended in Euroleague and Eurocup
As of Friday, the various clubs involved in the most important European competition have decided not to go to Russia anymore. Among them Asvel (Lyon-Villeurbanne) Tony Parker, who was to face Unics Kazan this week.
Initially, the ECA, which organizes this competition, had imposed on Russian clubs to play on neutral ground (i.e. outside Russian territory). Finally, she announced on Monday the suspension of all Russian clubs involved in Euroleague and Eurocup basketball. Unics Kazan is therefore concerned, as well as CSKA Moscow, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Kuban Krasnodar.
Volleyball: the World Cup planned in Russia relocated
The announcement fell on Tuesday. The International Volleyball Federation has said that the world championship which was to be played in Russia from August 26 to September 11 will be relocated. The new host country should be known in the coming days.
Poles and French, respectively world and Olympic champions, had already warned that they would be forfeited if the competition had been maintained there. The European Federation has meanwhile announced that no match could be held in Russia or Ukraine.
Formula 1: Sochi Grand Prix canceled
As of Friday, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) announced that the Sochi Grand Prix would be canceled if the situation continued. She felt he was “impossible to maintain the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances”. Supposed to be held on September 25, it was to be the last Grand Prix in the city which hosted the Winter Olympics in 2014. The race was to be relocated to Saint Petersburg next year.
The future of the only Russian driver in Formula 1, Nikita Mazepin, also seems compromised, since he could be banned by the FIA. In addition, the American team Haas, of which he is one of the two riders, questioned its partnership with its Russian sponsor Uralkali.
Tennis: pressure on the WTA
The International Women’s Tennis Federation has not yet taken a position in the dispute between Ukraine and Russia, but it could do so very soon. Several Ukrainian tennis players have called on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to react. Elina Svitolina in the lead. The one who was to face the Russian Anastasia Potapova this Tuesday in Monterrey announced that she would no longer play against Russian or Belarusian opponents as long as the latter did not participate in the tournaments as neutral athletes.
As for the young Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, she published a press release in which she expressed her “big surprise” and his “dissatisfaction” faced with the lack of reaction to what is happening in his country: “We call on the WTA to immediately condemn the Russian government, withdraw all tournaments held in Russia and contact the ITF [Fédération internationale de tennis] to do the same.”
Update : addition this Thursday at 10:30 a.m. of the decision of the International Paralympic Committee which authorizes Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete.